ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] Portable corrals
Re: [endurance] Portable corrals
Samm C Bartee (bartesc@mail.auburn.edu)
Tue, 2 Apr 1996 07:35:47 -0600 (CST)
Hello! Just a couple of points on the tying vs. corral thing. I have
known several horses to break loose from the tie. Not have it come
undone as in someone did not tie it properly, but to have a rope break,
have a snap break, or to actually have the horse get himself untied. I
have had a near breeding experience with my stallion who was tied at the
time. A mare managed to get loose from her picket line and she wandered
over to Embers and asked very politely for him to have his way with her.
If I had not come around the corner at the time, I would have had a very
interesting story to tell, and so would the mare owner!! I have seen
people looking for days on end for their horses that were tied to a
trailer or between two trees, because they managed to get loose for
whatever reason. And if you are ever in s. Al., and meet a man named
Bill Jones, don't ever tell him to double tie his stallion. He did this
for five years, the same stallion to the same trailer, tied the same
way. One day, Bill went to get some water, and when he came back, he
found the stallion hanging. They did manage to get him loose before
Fancy died, but it was touch and go for a little while. What happened?
They don't know. Yes, if he had been in camp, that probably wouldn't have
happened, but he could just as easily been asleep when it happened, and
it could have been worse. My best friend had her horse tied to a picket,
and he broke the snap and took off. None of the horses made any noise.
It took us two days to find him. Now that we use a paddock, he hasn't
gone anywhere.
I have trained my stallion. He was trained at home, and was tied or
picketed for two years before I ever put him in a paddock. He does know
how to respect a rope, and if it tightens, he will stand patiently while
I untangle him. BUT, when he rolls, it is very fast and furious! He is
very short-backed, and he throws himself over in a violent fashion. The
time that he really injured himself, he didn't move once he realized that
he was tangled, but the sheer force of the rope on the leg as he threw
himself over was what did the damage. Unfortunately, after they are in
motion, they can't undo what they just did. I learned a lesson there,
and I always let him roll before I tie him up, but that doesn't stop him
from rolling every time he gets the urge. I have not found a way to stop
a horse from rolling if I am not present to keep him from going down. If
anyone knows this trick, please pass it on.
My point to all of this? Simple. No matter what we do with our horses,
they will find a way to cause problems. I know of three horses in the
past six months that have lost riders--and good riders--in the woods and
then taken off for periods of time. Joe Long can tell you about a fellow
who lost his horse, saddle and all, for six weeks in Talladega National
Forest. They found him alive and ok except for being skinny.
See, no matter what precautions, there will always be accidents. I
realize that with stallions that you have to use a bit more caution. I
train my horses, regardless of body parts, and I use as much caution as
possible. However, there are going to be accidents that just happen
through rider error, or otherwise. When dealing with animals, you are
dealing with a thinking(sometimes), feeling being. You can't just shut
them off at any given moment. I have seen horses literaly pull them
selves to the ground when spooked really bad and tied to a tree.
Now that is just part of my two cents on the subject. I think we all
have to do what works for us and what we are comfortable with. I use to
think that a paddock was terrible, but now, I love it. FOR MY HORSES!!!
APPY TRAILS
SAMM C. BARTEE